Semi Kulax and Kiko Semi
}} The Semi Kulax (セミクラックス) and Kiko Semi (キコーセミ) are Japanese 4.5×6 folders made by Kigawa from 1941 to about 1946. General description All the models are vertical folders, copies of the 4.5×6 Nettar with straight folding struts. There is a key to wind the film at the bottom right, as seen by the photographer holding the camera horizontally. The back is hinged to the left and the back latch consists of a long sliding bar. There is a single red window at the bottom, protected by a horizontally sliding cover. The Semi Kulax Description The Semi Kulax has a short top housing containing both an eye level finder and a brilliant finder, with the shutter release and folding bed release symmetrically placed at both ends. The lens is front-cell focusing, and is normally surrounded by a depth-of-field scale. The name is normally embossed as KULAX in the front leather. The top housing has a large KSK logo, presumably for Kigawa Seimitsu Kōgaku. Advertisements and original documents The Semi Kulax was advertised in Japanese magazines from January 1941. It is already mentioned in the official list of set prices compiled in October 1940 and published in January 1941, in four versions: "Semi Kulax A" (¥100), "Semi Kulax I" (¥120), "Semi Kulax II" (¥121), "Semi Kulax III" (¥160). , type 3, sections 4B, 5B, 6B and 7B. By comparison with other cameras in the same price categories, we can presume that the models A and II have an f/4.5 lens and the models I and III have an f/3.5 lens. A similar price list dated November 1941 only has the Semi Kulax A, I and III, along with the Kiko Semi III (see below). , type 3, sections 4B, 5B and 7B. In the latter document, the camera is attributed to Nichiei Shōkai (previously called Optochrom-sha and later Kikō Shōji), the sales company associated to Kigawa Kōgaku. The November 1941 advertisement in mentions the Erinar Anastigmat 75/3.5 lens and Kiko (キコー) shutter. Advertisement dated November 1941 reproduced in Nakamura, p.29 of no.173 (the same advertisement is dated June 1941 in Onodera, p.18 of no.127, perhaps by mistake). Two versions are listed, differing by the shutter speeds: * Semi Kulax I: T, B, 5–200 speeds, ; * Semi Kulax III: T, B, 1–300 speeds, . The camera is advertised together with the Gotex, and the distributor is Nichiei Shōkai. The pictured camera has the KULAX embossing and the KSK engraving. Its shutter casing is black, and the aperture scale is a separate part attached on top. No name is visible on the shutter rim. The January 1942 advertisement in the same magazine lists the same two versions, at respectively and , and shows the same picture. Advertisement reproduced in , p.68. After the introduction of the Kiko Semi, the "Semi Kulax" and "Semi Kulax A" were still listed in the April 1943 government inquiry on camera production (see below). Actual examples The example pictured in is a presumably early one. The name is embossed in the front leather as KULEX. , item 1317. The camera is wrongly dated 1948. The name "Kulex" and the date are repeated in , p.464. This is perhaps not a name variant but rather a mistake in the marking, something not infrequent among Japanese cameras of the time. This example has T, B, 5–300 speeds and perhaps a missing depth-of-field scale. No shutter name is visible. The lens engraving is Kikō Anastigmat Erinar 1:3.5 f=75mm N°20279. The example pictured in this page differs from the other known Semi Kulax by its all chrome shutter casing, with the speed and aperture scales directly engraved. The lens is engraved KIKO Anastigmat Erinar 1:3.5 f=75mm N°74629. The shutter is reported as a Rapid-Kiko, apparently giving T, B, 1–500 speeds (the top speed is unsure). The shutter name is inscribed at the bottom of the speed setting rim. The top housing has the words TOKYO JAPAN, KIGAWA KŌGAKU and 2601 engraved under the KSK logo. Number 2601 is surely not a serial number, but corresponds to year 2601 in the Japanese mythological calendar sometimes used in military ruled Japan, i.e. 1941. *** Eastwestphoto March 17, 2014 Semi Kulex of 1948 - Semi Kulax lll of 1941; are not the same Model camera! ** Important clue*** - The red window with sliding cover on the Semi Kulex no. 1540 is at the top left of back door and on the Semi Kulax No. 2601 ( Japanese Military Rule code ) WW2 1941 issue; the Red window is Bottom left! The pre war chrome on the Semi Kulax lll is much heavier , than the Semi Kulex of 1948. The Semi Kulax lll of 1941 has a chromed ferrule under the body release button, the 1948 Semi Kulex has a blackened metal ferrule. Both models have two struts Unsigned. Both KSK double window viewfinders are identical except for the serial No.'s that is. The Semi Kulax lll has a Kiko Anastigmat Erinar UNCOATED 7.5cm F;3.5 low serial No.1566 lens, in a UNMARKED shutter T,B,1~300. F:stops are OLD metric scale 3.5,4.5.6.3,9,12.5,18,32 & D.O.F. scale guide on the front cell focus lens is also in Old Metric. Both winding Keys are stamped " Kulex". Both models have a old design huge 9mm female thread for a case screw. The Semi Kulax lll has a thin Brown pleated bellows, the Semi Kulex has a black pleated bellows and they are thicker build. The Semi KULAX lll is a 1941 camera in design and build. Metric f:stops,red window lower bottom of back door. The Sugiyama book of 1984 says the Semi Kulex is 1948 date on pg. 83 #1317, this is the 1948 version and ODD for a Japanese camera maker to be building such an old design camera in 1948! This could explain why its a rarity 4 star rated camera; its design was pre war. I believe the Sugiyama book listed Semi Kulex 1948 Post War version with the 1/5~300 shutter and a coated Erinar Ana. 75mm F:3.5 lens with much higher serial #'s on the lens; than the pre War Erinar of 1941 on the Semi Kulax lll. Don@eastwestphoto Kiko Semi with dual finders Description The dual finder Kiko Semi was an evolution of the Semi Kulax. It shares the same body and top housing containing dual finders. The main difference is that the lens and shutter assembly is mounted on a helical (unit focusing), the same as on the 6×6 Gotex introduced by Kigawa in late 1941. The front leather is embossed KIKO, and the back is embossed Kiko Semi. Wartime advertisements and documents The earliest mention of the Kiko Semi is in the November 1941 official price list cited above, which has a "Kiko Semi III" along with the Semi Kulax. , type 3, section 7B. Advertisements dated February and October 1942 in list the camera for with an Erinar Anastigmat 75/3.5 lens and a Kikō Rapid shutter (T, B, 1–500). Advertisements reproduced in , pp.66 and 71. See also the wartime advertisement reproduced in Nostalgic Camera by Toshio Inamura. In this advertisement, the prices of the Gotex (¥187) and Kiko Semi (¥158) are mismatched. The picture is the same in the two advertisements. It shows the shutter name RAPID–KIKO at the bottom of the speed rim, and perhaps the KSK logo above the top housing. The camera has a plain lens standard, the same as on the Semi Kulax. The April 1943 government inquiry on camera production mentions the Semi Kulax, Semi Kulax A and Kiko Semi. , items 56, 59 and 79. It says nothing of the focusing mechanism. The Semi Kulax A is registered with a Lucomar 75/4.5 lens and a Kiko shutter (T, B, 5–200), both made by Kigawa. , lens item Lc20, shutter item 18-U-5. The two other cameras are listed with a Kiko 75/3.5 three-element lens. , lens item Lb8. The shutter of the Kiko Semi is the Kiko Rapid (T, B, 1–500), and the shutter of the Semi Kulax is curiously given as a Licht by Seikōsha (T, B, 25–100, self-timer). , shutter items 18-R-3 and 12-V-4. An advertisement dated February 1944 shows the Kiko Semi with dual finders and unit focusing, together with the Gotex. Advertisement on the third cover of Nihon Shashin Kōgyō Tsūshin, February 15, 1944, reproduced on p.77 of Hyaku-gō goto jūkai no kiroku. The picture is the same as in 1942. The lens is the Erinar Anastigmat f/3.5, and another picture shows lens no.60693, probably on a Gotex. It is unclear whether the shutter of the Kiko Semi is the Kiko Compur (1–300) or the Kiko Rapid (1–500), and it seems that the price is . The columns listing the features of the Kiko Semi and Gotex are probably mismatched, as is indicated by the given format, and the Kiko Compur (1–300) shutter certainly applies to the Gotex. The prices are probably at the right place, and the Kiko Semi is presumably cheaper than the Gotex. Actual examples All the examples actually observed with dual finders and unit focusing have a square lens standard with rounded corners, perhaps to protect the focusing control. One example is known with 1–500 speeds and the name RAPID–KIKO on the shutter rim. Its lens engraving is Kikō Anastigmat Erinar 1:3.5 f=7.5cm N°xxxxx. Its top housing has the same engravings as on the Semi Kulax: a large KSK logo, TOKYO JAPAN, and KIGAWA KōGAKU. There is also a number, which might be the same 2601 as on the example of the Semi Kulax pictured above, or might correspond to the body serial number, as is the case on a Gotex with a similar marking. Others have a shutter giving T, B, 5–200 speeds, and a bright shining top housing with no marking. Examples observed in online auctions, lens no.75694 and 75914, and example pictured in this page atwww.ccc2000.net, lens no.x9659. See also the example pictured in this page of the Akahiro Camera Museum. The lens marking is KIKO Anastigmat Erinar 1:3.5 f=75mm N°xxxxx and no engraving is visible on the shutter rim. The dual-finder example pictured in has front-cell focusing and a plain round lens standard. Example pictured in , p.464. The shutter speeds are faintly legible but seem to be T, B, 5–200. The lens marking is Erinar Anastigmat 1:3.5 f=75mm N°101923. This example is presumably quite late. A similar marking and a lens number in the same range are known on an example of the 6×6 Gotex with front-cell focusing. This backward move to front-cell focusing lenses is probably due to a shortage of materials, which impeded the manufacture of the focusing helical. A similar reason has been alleged to explain why some examples of the Semi Pearl are found with a front-cell focusing lens. Kiko Semi with folding finder Actual examples The Kiko Semi also exists with a folding optical finder. Two different types of finder are known, differing by the closing sequence. The presumably early finder has the front part folding above the rear one; it is the reverse for the presumably late finder. It is not known if the folding finder corresponds to a less expensive Kiko Semi sold in parallel to the dual-finder model, or if it was mounted because of a shortage of materials to manufacture the top housing. The actual examples observed so far differ one from the other, and give the impression of a disorganized production. Eastwestphoto Example- Semi KIKO---- Front cell focus model with Erinar Anastigmat 75mm F:3.5 is of good Optical quality, Red MTR. & Infinity in red, the lens is uncoated of course, set in a 1mm pitch helicoil thread for focusing. The shutter is Unmarked maker T,B, 5~200 and its junk! Cheaply made and differcult to take apart to get working again. The finder I have is Optical and chromed in the back, back over the front closing. >KIKO.SEMI. stamped in back leather. KIKO on front a fanciful script style. In fact the leather stamping and quality is the best part of the camera! Good struts of the two fold design, unmarked. Otherwise, I would say its identical to the Pacific Rim example. Therefore there WERE different models of different quality, this model was the lower end of the Semi KIKO line. A single example has been observed with a folding optical finder and unit focusing. Example pictured in this page at Japan Family Camera. The front part of the finder folds above the rear one. The camera has the square lens standard, and a Rapid-Kiko shutter, giving T, B, 1–500 speeds and engraved RAPID-KIKO in the speed rim. The lens marking is KIKO Anastigmat Erinar 1:3.5 f=75mm N°72909, and the number might indicate that it was made at the same time as the dual-finder unit-focusing model. Another example is known with the same finder, a circular lens standard, a front-cell focusing Rieze-Anastigmat 7.5cm f/3.5 lens and perhaps a Buick Model-1 shutter. Example observed in an online auction. This equipment is perhaps not original. Other examples have a different type of viewfinder, with the rear part folding above the front one. All have front-cell focusing and a circular lens standard. Two of them has a depth-of-field scale around the focusing ring, the same as on the Semi Kulax. Examples observed in online auctions. A third one has a plain lens surrounding, a Kiko Anastigmat Erinar 75mm f/3.5 lens and is reported to have 1–200 speeds. Example observed for sale at a dealer. The Kely might be a further evolution of that camera. Postwar advertisements The Kiko Semi was advertised again in Japanese magazines dated mid-1946. , p.350. The advertisement in the May and July 1946 issues of shows a drawing of the camera with no top housing and a folding optical finder, whose rear part folds above the front one. An identical advertisement appears in May 1946 (p.3) and July 1946 (p.29), reproduced in this page and in , p.132. The drawing seems to show a unit-focused lens mounted on a plain round lens standard. The text confirms that the lens barrel moves front and back (前後玉鏡胴伸縮式), and mentions an Erinar 75/3.5 lens and a Kiko Compur Inferred from the katakana キコーコンパー. shutter (T, B, 1–300), but no price is indicated and no company name is given. It is probable that the cameras offered were old stock, or assembled from an old stock of parts. The last reported advertisement for the Kiko Semi is in the August 1946 issue of the same magazine. , p.350. Notes Bibliography Original documents * . Advertisements in May 1946 (p.3) and July 1946 (p.29). * Type 3, sections 4B, 5B and 7B. * Items 56, 59 and 79. * Type 3, sections 4B, 5B, 6B and 7B. * Advertisement on p.77, corresponding to the third cover of the February 15, 1944 issue. Recent sources * Items 57, 75 and 471. (See also the advertisement for item 101.) * P.464. * Nakamura Kin (中村欽). "Hanseiki mae no jū-ichi-gatsu ni wa..." (半世紀前の十一月には..., In November, fifty years ago...) In no.173 (November 1991). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. P.29. * Onodera Eiri (小野寺英里). "SNK to Kigawa to Taisei to Fujikō to" (SNKと木川と大成と富士光と, SNK, Kigawa, Taisei, Fujikō, etc.). In no.127 (January 1988). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. Pp.15–20. * Item 1317. Links In Japanese: * Kiko Semi (dual finders, unit focusing, no KSK marking) in the Akahiro Camera Museum * Kiko Semi (folding finder, front-cell focusing) at Japan Family Camera * Advertisement for the Gotex and Kiko Semi published between 1942 and 1945, reproduced in Nostalgic Camera by Toshio Inamura In Chinese: * Kiko Semi at www.ccc2000.net Category: Japanese 4.5x6 viewfinder folding Category: Kigawa Category: S Kulax, Semi